1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for mounting a horizontal hood latch to an upper panel of a front-end module (FEM) of an automobile, and more particularly to a structure for mounting a horizontal hood latch to an upper panel of an FEM of an automobile which comprises a bracket over-molded onto the upper panel of the FEM, along with a horizontal hood latch fixed thereto, for allowing an engine hood to be fixed to the upper panel of the FEM.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the body of an automobile, which defines the appearance of the automobile, is comprised of a passenger compartment, an engine compartment, a trunk compartment, fenders, etc. Further, such an automobile body is divided into a front body, a center body, and a rear body, which are successively arranged in a longitudinal direction of an automobile.
Here, the front body is provided with a carrier for use in the installation of headlamps, a radiator, a condenser, a bumper, etc. Such a carrier has been obtained by applying a front-end module technique, which allows the headlamps, radiator, condenser, bumper, etc. to be wholly attached to a body panel, thereby improving assembling efficiency, shortening assembly time through reduction in the number of elements to be assembled, and securing accuracy in the assembling of products.
Considering a front-end module, to an upper panel thereof is attached a latch for use in the fixing of an engine hood. The latch is required to have a mechanical strength sufficient to endure a dynamic load of the hood generated when the hood is opened or closed for opening or closing an engine compartment of an automobile.
Such a latch for use in the fixing of the hood is classified into a vertical latch and a horizontal latch. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a conventional structure wherein a vertical latch is mounted to an upper panel of a front-end module.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for the mounting of such a vertical latch, first, the vertical latch, designated as reference numeral 15, is attached to the front surface of an upper panel 12 of a front-end module 10, and rigidity-reinforcing ribs 7 are affixed to the rear surface of the upper panel 12 so as to achieve a satisfactory rigidity.
However, in case of a horizontal latch, since it must be mounted to the upper surface of the upper panel, a lower portion thereof inevitably occupies a space required for the installation of the reinforcing ribs, thereby making it impossible to install the rigidity-reinforcing ribs to the rear surface of the upper panel of the FEM.